Pirates seize U.S. freighter, hold captain for ransom

[Crazed Rabbit]

I'm not defending the kidnappers, I'm saying you should not carpet bomb villages because some people were kidnapped. It's not like the pirates are bloodthirsty monsters who eat bugs and then the kidnapped people after receiving the money. They're a bunch of guys who have no jobs but little boats so they think they can make some money off these rich westerners who come buy with expensive ships that they afforded by selling ressources they got out of the pirates' country. Yes, they do fumble around with sticks and shoot rockets but that just shows how insecure they are because they are afraid someone on the ship might use a water hose on them otherwise. They play big gorilla to scare their prey because otherwise they don't have a chance, that a bunch of sailor can overwhelm them or scare them away now and then just reinforces that.

Do you really believe that?!

I work at a shop. There's no way I'll ever fight back if I get robbed. Honestly, they don't even need a weapon to rob me, all they need to say is that they want to register, and I'll hand it over in a second. It's not my money, so I see absolutely no reason to care. My life and my safety is worth more than a few bucks.

That money pays your wage.

The ports banning arms is frustrating, but not surprising, considering the governments around the world.

Even more frustrating is France being so much more proactive than the US. We've got a warship right next to the pirate ship - why not simply 'negotiate' the release of the hostage in exchange for allowing the pirates to live? Which is basically what happens at bank robberies.

This problem is just going to get worse. I'm decidedly in favor of gunboat diplomacy.

CR

[HoreTore]

and if i were a ship owner with a way to defend myself i would happily pull the trigger when your 'fishing' boat hove into view.

If you were a ship owner, you would been a thousand miles away from the ship and wouldn't do anything about it.

That money pays your wage.

If a boss expects his employees to risk their lives/safety to defend a couple of bucks, I would've quit instantly. Fortunately, I have a sane boss who expects me to hand over the cash as fast as possible, and leave the rest of the stuff to the proper authorities, ie. the police. He's insured anyway, and a couple of thousand NOK is nothing when the yearly turnover is 700 million....

[Seamus Fermanagh]

If a boss expects his employees to risk their lives/safety to defend a couple of bucks, I would've quit instantly. Fortunately, I have a sane boss who expects me to hand over the cash as fast as possible, and leave the rest of the stuff to the proper authorities, ie. the police. He's insured anyway, and a couple of thousand NOK is nothing when the yearly turnover is 700 million....

If your boss expects you to defend her property, she should compensate you appropriately to that level of risk. Fair's fair.

[HoreTore]

If your boss expects you to defend her property, she should compensate you appropriately to that level of risk. Fair's fair.

There are better ways to defend property. Like avoid getting robbed in the first place The focus here in Norway is on avoiding robberies completely, if a robbery takes place anyway, then it's a FAIL, might as well hand over everything. Rule number 1 of the "not getting robbed"-school, is of course to never have any significant amount of cash. If people know we don't have any cash, they see no point in robbing us. And there's even less reason to play hero if you do get robbed.

pedantry. but if you wish me to rephrase it for you:
"and if i were a ships captain with a way to defend myself i would happily pull the trigger when your 'fishing' boat hove into view."

If you were a ships captain, why would you want to get shot in a situation where you're not going to suffer yourself?

Drop the tough guy-face, please. Let's see, you're a captain. You have a wife and children at home. Your employer won't care if he gets robbed, and will pay your ransom quickly. Why on earth would you turn a smooth situation into one where your kids might end up without a father?

[rory_20_uk]

I'm with HoreTore. The crews are not equipped nor trained to have a stand up fight with Pirates. Because it may be a fishing boat, but they're not carrying fishes. Unless there's a deck mounted minigun to hand - make that several as it's a big ship - with decent armour you're out gunned and out manned - you'll loose. I'd cheerfully shoot if I knew I'd win. But I'm sensible enough not to end up as a pathetic epitaph of how I "heroically

The skull and crossbones, so beloved of pirates was similarly a choice for the ship: we're pirates. Give up and escape with your lives. I imagine most did. If you resisted too much, the red flag came up, which meant no quarter given.

[Husar]

If you were a ships captain, why would you want to get shot in a situation where you're not going to suffer yourself?

Well, he probably thinks he won't get shot but will shoot you instead.
And he may not think otherwise until your RPG has blown away his legs and lower intestines

Drop the tough guy-face, please. Let's see, you're a captain. You have a wife and children at home. Your employer won't care if he gets robbed, and will pay your ransom quickly. Why on earth would you turn a smooth situation into one where your kids might end up without a father?

Because some philosopher said it's better to die in your feet than wait for a ransom on your knees. A philosopher who has probably never seen violence I might add.

That's just my hypothetical answer of course , not like I'm actually trying to answer for someone else.

[Furunculus]

pirates are a scourge, and not to be tolerated by any civilised person.

they were rightly hunted down like vermin and hung from the yard-arm when caught.

i don't advocate that everyone has to act like 'rambo', but i do believe that every legal mechanism should support any measures a captain is willing to take in defence of his ship.

that amercian crew did an amazing job to defend their ship from the pirates, if they'd had one man with a barrat punching bloody great holes through the hulls of those 'fishing' vessels then they would have got away. equally they would have the option of punching great bloody holes in the chest of any excitable little fellow who started waving rpg's around. i cheer everything they have done.

[Furunculus]

If you were a ship owner, you would been a thousand miles away from the ship and wouldn't do anything about it.

pedantry. but if you wish me to rephrase it for you:
"and if i were a ships captain with a way to defend myself i would happily pull the trigger when your 'fishing' boat hove into view."

[Lemur]

Even more frustrating is France being so much more proactive than the US. We've got a warship right next to the pirate ship - why not simply 'negotiate' the release of the hostage in exchange for allowing the pirates to live?

The Founding Fathers faced exactly the same question, although on a much larger scale. Their solution? Pay the ransom. Oh, there was a lot more to it than that, but the upshot was hostages, failed rescue attempts (resulting in more hostages), bribes, treaty, payments.

We gonna party like it's 1805!